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In such a saturated market, how do you know which influencers are the best to work with? We’ve rounded up a few tips for you to consider the next time it comes to deciding this.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: think local. Regardless of whether your restaurant, or product can be found in multiple locations, it’s always great to include local influencers in your campaign. They are the ones who will yield more engagement and drive more foot traffic to your restaurant, or store. Plus, since they live in the city you are in, they know the area well and will be able to create content that intertwines the location and your restaurant and/or product.

Try choosing influencers who are already fans of yours. The partnership will seem obvious when you work with influencers who use your products or visit your restaurant prior to working on the campaign. The partnership will be more authentic and the creation of content won’t feel forced.

Don’t brush off micro influencers. You might think it’s better to work with macro influencers for their large followings, but that’s not always the case. Though they have less followers, micro influencers have loyal followers. And because of their smaller reach, you won’t have to worry about going over budget, as micro influencers will be more affordable.

We’ve all seen the sponsored posts, hospitality reviews, and influencer hosted events. If you’re looking for a new, fresh way to work with influencers, check out these less-used methods.

Ambassador Role. Instead of working with an influencer on one campaign or a few here and there, give them the opportunity to be an Ambassador for your brand. This way, they’ll constantly be promoting your products and services by creating content, hosting events, and marketing your brand by using their name.

Create a Product With Them. Is there an influencer you have worked with multiple times, that you keep going back to because you love their content so much? Invite them to co-create a product. Maybe it’s a special menu item or limited time offer, but involving the influencer is a great way to get product to the market and bring in new customers.

Feature Founder Interviews. Content can always go beyond the usual food or product picture, but oftentimes it doesn’t. To share the history of your brand and open the door for new content ideas, have the influencer interview or speak with the founder to hear the whole story of how the brand came to be.

In such a saturated market, how do you know which influencers are the best to work with? We’ve rounded up a few tips for you to consider the next time it comes to deciding this.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: think local. Regardless of whether your restaurant, or product can be found in multiple locations, it’s always great to include local influencers in your campaign. They are the ones who will yield more engagement and drive more foot traffic to your restaurant, or store. Plus, since they live in the city you are in, they know the area well and will be able to create content that intertwines the location and your restaurant and/or product.

Try choosing influencers who are already fans of yours. The partnership will seem obvious when you work with influencers who use your products or visit your restaurant prior to working on the campaign. The partnership will be more authentic and the creation of content won’t feel forced.

Don’t brush off micro influencers. You might think it’s better to work with macro influencers for their large followings, but that’s not always the case. Though they have less followers, micro influencers have loyal followers. And because of their smaller reach, you won’t have to worry about going over budget, as micro influencers will be more affordable.

We did a little research for you to find out what some of the top food trend predictions are for 2019. Keep an eye out for these, as we think they will be all over the place in the coming year. And, don’t forget to be camera ready so you can get the best #foodporn shot.

Oat Milk. Move over nut milk, there’s a new kid in town. We were introduced to oat milk towards the end of 2018 and it sounds like it’s popularity is going to keep spreading. It might be a little hard to find right now, but we think that is about to change…

Tahini. This Middle Eastern ingredient hasn’t gotten as much credit as it should, but now that it’s being used in things beyond hummus (think tahini chocolate chip cookies...yum!), there’s a chance that it could beat out other nut butters in 2019.

Mushrooms. We’ll admit we were a bit surprised when we came across this one. But, according to Pinterest, “nutrient-packed mushrooms are springing up everywhere from coffee drinks to chocolate bars” and searches for mushroom recipes has increased over 50%.

Frozen Sweets. According to Whole Foods, we should be prepared to find more creative frozen treats. Think avocado popsicles, hummus ice cream, and coconut water soft serve.

Foil Pack Dinners. For all you meal preppers out there, you can expect to see an increase in foil pack dinner recipes. They are fast, easy, and cuts down clean up time.

2018 is coming to a close, and you know that means… soon we’ll be seeing new food trends pop up on Instagram that we will not only have to try, but also get the perfect ‘gram of. Before we get our cameras ready for the newest Instagrammable foods, let’s take a look back at some of the top food trends of this past year.

Veggies as carb substitutes. Though zoodles have been popular for awhile now, 2018 was definitely a good year for vegetables - specifically when acting as carbs. Spiralized sweet potatoes in place of a burger bun, broccoli tots or parsnip fries instead of potatoes, and of course the obvious, cauliflower everything - from pizza crust to gnocchi to mash, we think it’s safe to say cauliflower was the breakout star.

Matcha. This powdered green tea was all over Instagram this year, and for a good reason. It’s versatility. It is one of those drinks that is just as delicious iced as it is hot, and unsweetened as it is sweetened. We saw specialty matcha shops open all over, proving it’s here to stay for a while.

Overnight Oats. The recipe developers out there can back us up on this. Instead of eating oatmeal the traditional, warm way, we were introduced to another method of making this breakfast food: soaking them overnight in milk and eating them cold! Of course, we still saw yummy fillings and toppings added to the oats, which only makes it better.

Bone Broth. The bone broth craze continued and really picked up in 2018. Made by simmering bones for hours in water with vinegar, this trend is associated with it’s health benefits. More broth bars popped up this year and from the looks of it, doesn’t look like it will be going away anytime soon.

Ooey Gooey Cookies. We couldn’t leave this one off the list! Our Instagram feed has been LOADED with the “cookie break” this year. From homemade cookies to the Instagram famous ones, everytime we see a picture of a fat, chocolatey cookie split in half, our mouths water! We’ve been starting to see crazy fillings inside, too, and we think this is another trend that will spill over into 2019.

CGTN features Tribe member @yeahfoodbeer, touching on how her Instagram account translates to customers for the restaurants she works with. And, get a glimpse of the power of social media - how this free and immediate marketing technique is a way to get your restaurant out there.

“As a restaurant, you’re seeing what customers are saying about you. You’re seeing what dishes they like most,” says Iris Mohr, Chair of Marketing at St. John’s University. Watch this short video to learn how you can connect with your customers that can’t be done with advertising.

Influencers have had a big impact on the restaurant industry, thanks to social media. They aren’t just posting a pretty picture - they’re raising awareness.

How does it work? A restaurant will reach out to the influencer on Instagram who would be a good fit for their brand and has a large following, to see if they would be interesting in creating content about their offerings. As for compensation, some restaurants offer free food and others will pay for sponsored content. Either way, both sides get what they want.

Alternatively, agencies like Foodie Tribe work with restaurants and/or their marketing companies to find the perfect influencers for promotional campaigns. A list of objectives and deliverables is created and given to the influencer, and upon completion, the influencer is paid for their work.